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Jersey Shore's Surprise Feminists
Nicole LaPorte is the senior West Coast reporter for The Daily Beast and the author of The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks.
The thong-wearing ladies on the MTV reality show Jersey Shore are causing outrage among Italian-American groups—but Nicole LaPorte argues that they’re progressive prima donnas.
With her leopard thong, poof hairdo, and “Pornstar in Training” trucker cap, Nicole Polizzi—better known as “Snooki” on the MTV reality series Jersey Shore—is no Meadow Soprano.
And not just because Snooki and her female cohorts on the show—in which a group of self-proclaimed guidos and guidettes shack up in a house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, for a summer of boozing, clubbing, and Jacuzzi-ing—aren’t Ivy League-educated Good Girls. Or that Snooki’s response to an Italian-American group and companies that recently pulled advertising from Jersey Shore because they said it reinforced negative stereotypes was: “FUCK YOU! If you don’t want to watch, don’t watch. Just shut the hell up! I’m serious. FUCK YOU!”
The truth is, the show is actually undoing age-old stereotypes and replacing them, for better or worse, with a progressive, and even revolutionary, model of prima donna that is more Lady Gaga than Victoria Gotti. In contrast to the one-dimensional portraits of Italian-American women that have been trotted out over the years—the loud-mouthed bimbo (Marisa Tomei’s Oscar-winning performance as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny); the long-suffering housewife (Connie in The Godfather; Carmela on The Sopranos); the daddy’s princess (Meadow Soprano)—the trash-talking, overly tanned ladies of Jersey Shore pick fist fights, refuse to cook or clean up, and shuffle around in slippers and sweats while the guys in the house preen and put on lip gloss. Most dramatically, they are not women who are defined by, or in the service of, the guidos and goombahs around them, whether it’s their fathers, husbands, or boyfriends.
Sure, they’re sex objects whose main mission in life is to snag a man. Snooki, who looks like a miniature cross between Donatella Versace and Elvira, tells the camera: “I want to marry a guido. My ultimate dream is to move to Jersey, find a nice, juiced, hot, tan guy, and live my life.”
But when it comes to sex, they’re aggressive predators who, if anything, objectify the men they’re so intent on scoring.
“I have a bad habit of playing little emotional games with men,” Jenni “JWOWW” Farley says. “When they date me, it’s cool at the beginning, we do our thing in the first month, and then I send them on a roller-coaster ride to hell.”
“Your No. 1 mission is to go out and find the hottest guido and take him home,” says Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, who, by the second episode, has attracted and spurned one roommate, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino (an ab-ripped phenomenon who, naturally, refers to himself in the third person), and is sleeping with another, Ronnie Magro (the resident dumb-but-sweet thug). Though she momentarily ditches him, too, for an “old friend” referred to as “The Cop.”
Jenni “JWOWW” Farley, a smoky-voiced Long Islander with fake boobs, the proportions of which, presumably, inspired her nickname, is even more bold about her particular brand of feminism:
“I’m like a praying mantis. After I have sex with a guy, I will rip their heads off,” she proclaims on the show.
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filipb
Firstly I think we need to think about what type of a stereotype should replace the traditional guidette stereotype. Fierce and violent? Really? Is that the improved verison? Would you rather have fifty women who's goal in life is to find a 'nice juiced husband' or fifty women who are searching for a carer or something more solid.
Plus, admittedly, I am skeptical of anything positive or intelligent coming out of MTV these days, so call me biased.
sausageinc
Tomei's character wasn't a bimbo. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of cars, bimbos don't have that capacity. She was quick-witted and curious, bimbos are vapid.
Barbie711
As a Jersey girl, I am offended by these women who are on this show. They do not represent a true Jersey girl. They are visitors to our state and the come roaring into Seaside Heights for the summer months, trash our community and then leave. If MTV were to do a do over in how they selected the women, they could have not used the bottom of the barrel women that they did chose. These women make those around the country think that Jersey girls and guys are like this. In real life a Jersey girl who is considered a guidette is a beautiful Italian girl who has a close knit family life and isn't throwing herself at any guy with a pulse. We have respect for ourselves, we are good girls who take care of ourselves. You would rarely see women like these drinking, sexing themselves out like that. Jersey girls have real jobs, they can party and still come home intact. They care about their reputations and value family. I just think these girls don't have their stuff together and use men for whatever they can get. Jersey girls are smarter than these bimbos and have class. JMO
goffbum
I loved Italian women but my mother would not let me go out with them....and now with 4 ex wives I guess I'll never know the joy of a fine Italian woman.....nutzzzzz
sophia5
These women are not acting out stereotypes.
They DO EXIST and behave this way.
They are not the Norm, but the exception.
However,
There is no such thing as a reality show with
so-called " Ordinary " people, because nobody would watch.
Of course people on the lunatic "fringe" are sought out
by the producers of these shows.
Yes, there is a clique of Italian Women and
Men who proudly pronounce their " Guido-ness. "
MTV needed an angle, so they chose the
" YO - VINNY " demographic.
Just spend some time at Joey Harrison's
in Ortley Beach (NJ), and you might
run into some of these character(s)istics.
kayjay
Isn't it kind of pretentious to praise them for managing to become as viciously shallow and aggressive as their male peers, rather than actually doing something -- anything! -- of value to society?
Then again, I'm unfamiliar with such people -- perhaps you're right in assuming that it's unreasonable for them to aspire beyond worthlessness.
devilsadvocate
This is the reality TV world here. The sad thing is, they perceive themselves as providing more value to society as you or I.
Shoopy
Wow I can honestly say this is the worst article I have ever ever read.
Being a mean-spirited, crass, violent slut is what passes for feminism these days? Yes, I guess it is true that they portrayed better than Italian women were portrayed in the past. But so what? Italian stereotypes have gone from men treating women like crap to the other way around. I don't see the improvement (unless you are one of those liberals who see minorities in a never-ending struggle for equality who can do no wrong no matter how many rights they get). And if you haven't noticed, there is plenty of objectifying women on JS, especially fat women.
Ciccina
This has nothing to do with feminism. The author just injected "feminism" to make her article stand out from all the other puff pieces being written about this show.
Our culture has long had the stereotype of the femme fatale, the out-of-control female sexual animal, the whore - think back to the Victorian / art nouveau period in particular.
This is a ridiculous article.
mutterhals
Feminism can have these skanks, I prefer women who can read and aren't riddled with venereal disease.
museweaver
so you watch it too?
mutterhals
I don't have to stick my face in a pile of shit to know that it stinks. I stopped watching MTV some time ago, but to each their own.
tellequelle
These women are not "feminists", which is not a dirty word, by the way. The author is simply surprised by the fact that they seem to be sexually independent and don't define themselves through their homemaking skills. These women are throw-backs to the fifties, with their sole goal being "How to Catch a Guido" rather than "How to Catch a Millionaire". Their entire lives are built around trying to look as sexually provocative as possible in order to catch the "hottest" guy, with no regard to any other aspect of their lives. They take no interests in their jobs (even the tee-shirt selling is too much for them) because that would get in the way of primping to get a man. They don't go and work out as the men do, because they don't have enough sense to care about their health. The author's premise is wrong...these girls are just skanks...I never thought I'd say that about another woman, but you were right about that point. Just don't blame "Feminism" for these creatures.
Ciccina
See above. Has nothing to do with feminism. Author is off her rocker.
robjh1
Trash TV!
museweaver
i love it! there are all kinds of feminists just like there are all kinds of Neanderthals who like to trash on women...all kinds...
mutterhals
Believing that women are beyond reproach, simply because they are women, is a form of chauvinism too.
MadameX
Try inserting any other ethnic group and their stereotypes and see if it is acceptable. Why is it always acceptable to portray Italian-Americans as boors, morons and thugs?
katetx
So it's okay to trash Italian Americans...can you IMAGINE the outrage if these were African Americans...oh no we can't go there can we....so hypocritical.
drborst
@katetx,
actually, while it isn't reality TV, "Tyler Perry's House of Pain" seems like a pretty good trashing of African Americans without any significant outrage (though I admit to only seeing the comercials for it, maybe that's why there is no outrage).
As for commenting on the article itself, isn't this old news? I seem to remember almost the same commentary regarding an earlier Italian American woman's talk of boy toys about 25 years ago. And I'd say Madonna has done pretty well for herself. (though maybe not in the relationship department).
CaMoJin
so you have never watched "tyler perry's house of pain" but you can comment on what the show is about? wtf? i'm guessing the dr doesnt stand for "doctor" am I right?
ohsure
Yes I can and I can imagine you and other whites telling blacks to "Get over it!"
case1234
clearly you have never seen Flavor of Love, another MTV show.. it was worse.
Barbara416
Jerry Springer is a prophet!
meb1983
There's nothing particularly feminist about being emotionally and sexually manipulative to get a man. This angle on the story is a huge stretch.
KateTheGreat
These (dare I call them women) are NOT feminists: they are revolting, vulgar, whores who have zero class and zero respect for themselves or anyone else. This is a terrible article...absolute garbage. I suggest the author reads "Female Chauvinist Pigs" and gets a clue (an excellent book about how acting like the worst stereotype of a male is not going to make women "one of the guys" or keep them safe from sexism or abuse.)
Revolting. Feminism is respect for/support for women as human beings - not assuming roles or ability based solely on gender - same idea holds true for men.
Ciccina
I wish "Female Chauvinist Pigs" was required reading for anyone contemplating writing an article like this.
I would be embarrassed to put my name on such a poorly thought-out article, but I guess the women on Jersey Shore aren't the only ones who lack a sense of shame. The author is an ignoramus.
mdreader
Feminists? Empowered? If their whole goal, by their own admission, is to find and marry a man, don't they just graduate into The Real Housewives of New Jersey?
Leprekike
Libertine whores are the new feminists? To live vicariously through the lives of these mental wretches is absurd; promoting their lascivious behaviors and their mendacious, narrowly-defined joie de vivre as liberating personal freedom completely ignores the need for public and personal restraint and maturity. I just hope that there are more people who laugh and/or recoil when watching this show rather than want to emulate it.
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